Casket



A(No Model.) 4 J. H. WALKER. GASKET.

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UNITED STATES PATENT EETCE..V

JOSEPH H. IVALKER, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

GASKET.'

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 570,356, dated October 2'?, 1896.

Serial No. 582,937. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it knownthat I, JosEPH H. WALKER, acitizen of the United States, residing at the city of Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Casket-s, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in caskets, and more particularly to that class of caskets which are known as couch-caskets, or caskets which are adapted to expose more or less of the corpse when the lid or upper portion is removed.

The object of my invention is to providea new and improved casket of the character referred to; and to this end it consists inthe combination of a lower part or body having substantially a horizontal upper surface, a shell or case at the head of the casket and within the body thereof, projecting above the body and adapted to retain the head-cushion, and a lid or cover adapted to t over the said head-piece and to make a close-fitted joint with the body.

The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l shows a side elevation of a casket constructed in accordance with myinvention, with the lid closed. Fig. 2 shows a cross-section on line X X of Fig. l, and Fig. 3 shows a longitudinal vertical section on line Y Y of Fig. 2.

Similar letters refer to similar partsthrou ghout the several views.

In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention I will now describe the same in detail, referring to the drawings, wherein- The letter A indicates the body or lower part of the casket.

B represents the upper part or lid, which in the example of my invention shown in the are usually covered with cloth the point where the lid and body are joined will not be visible.

It will be noticed that B, although referred to as a lid, is properly a portion of the body, but serves as a lid in that it can be separated temporarily from the lower part A, and being slightly larger it fits over the body A, so as to form a projection at the point of meeting with the lower part A. This is shown fully in Fig. l.

C represents a case or shell placed within the lower or body part A, and which in the example of my invention shown in the drawings does not extend to the bottom of the said lower part A; but it may be constructed so as to extend to the bottom, if desired. The part C projects above the bodyA a sufcient distance to allow the head and shoulders of the occupant to be raised by the cushion, which is retained within the casing C.. This portion C is also, as shown in Fig. 2, adapted to slip into the upper part B, so that the casing C is entirely inclosed when the upper part Bis placed in position. By this construction the body lying in the lower part A, with the head and shoulders raised by means of cushions held in position by C, is exposed a part or the whole length of the figure, and by placing the upper portion B upon the lower portion A the whole is inclosed without disturbing in any manner the occupant of the casket.

The portion A is upholstered, as is the rest of the casket, in the ordinary manner, and furnishes a support for the occupant, so that when the body lies in the lower portion A, and the upper part is removed, the face and a considerable portion of the body will be eX- posed to view. The lid or upper part B is adapted to lit over so as to entirely conceal the raised portion C, as above described.

By forming the top portion B thicker or longer and wider than the body portion A an overhang or offset is formed. It is the usual practice to cover the caskets with cloth, and the joint is entirely concealed by the described overhang or offset, the casket appearing to` have no removable cover. It also serves to cover entirely the metallic head-case and gives to the casket a rich and heavy appearance.

Thile I prefer to construct the raised portion of metal, it maybe constructed of any suitable material, and the general form or shape of the casket may be varied without IOO dep:u'ting,` from. the spirit of 1ny invention so the head-cushion substantially as described, longasit eontainsthegeneralstruoture abov a lid or cover adapted to fit over the said described and hereinafter claimed. headpieoe and to make a close-fitting joint Having thus described lny invention, what with the body, substantially as and for the 15 5 I claim to have invented, and desire to secure purpose described.

by Letters Patent, is In witness whereof I have hereunto set my In a Casket, the combination of the lower hand and seal in the presence of two witnesses. part or body having` substantially a horizon- JOSEPH H. WALKER, [L 5.] tal upper surface, a shell or oase at the head of Vitnesses: 1o the casket and within the body thereof, pro- EDWARD TAGGART,

jeeting above the body and adapted to retain 1 CHRISTOPHER HONDELINK. 

